Railway-switch



(No Model.)

J. J. MURPHY, Jr.

RAILWAY SWITCH. No. 435,881.. Patented Sept. 2, 1890.

V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. MURPHY, JR, OF FRANKLIN COUNTY, MISSOURI.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 435,881, dated September 2, 1890. Application filed February 25, 1890- Serial No. 841,759. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN J. MURPHY, J r., of the county of Franklin and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railway-Switches, commonly known as the three-throw switch, consisting of an appliance for moving the several sets of rails, of which the following is a full and exact description.

My invention consists in an improved and novel device or machine for connecting an ordinary switch-stand with the rails, by means of which machine the switches are opened or closed.'

Referfi ce is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure I represents a top view showing points of a three-throw switch and part of connecting-bars; Fig. 11, a detail top View showing position of lever when at rest and switch set for main track; Fig. III, a detail top View showing levers when switch is open to righthand track, dotted lines indicating position of lever when open to left-hand track.

The three-throw switches heretofore used are constructed and operated with a double switch-stand requiring separate and distinct sets of connecting-rods operating irrespective of each other.

My improvement consists of a machine or appliance used to connect and operate conjointly with the ordinary single switch-stand and the rods or bars which are fastened to the sliding rails of the switch and extend under and out beyond the rail of the main track. The bars here referred to are represented in Fig. I by the letters B B, and the crank K is a part of the switch-stand.

To the crank K is attached bya loose joint a bar S, which is extended toward the tracks, and at the opposite end of which is attached by another loose joint a piston-like rod f, which is a continuation of the bar S, and which slides through a cavity in and is held in place by a block of wood or metal W. The bar S is thus held in position by the switchcrank at one end and the sliding rod f at the other, and is capable of moving only outward and to the right or left as the switch-stand is turned.

The base or foundation for bar and other accompanying parts of the invention must be a flooring of solid material, preferably of wood, to which the machinery herein described is affixed and on which it is built.

The bar S is provided with projecting arms or lugs t 25, one on each side and about the middle of the bar. Parallel with the bar S, and on each side of said bar at equal distance from the same, are placed two levers or side bars L L, one end of each being curved or hook-shaped and having an opening corresponding in size and shape to the lugs t t of the bar S and fitting on and over said lugs. The part of these side bars beyond the curved portion extends parallel with the bar S and toward the track, where each is connected by a loose joint or rivet with one of the bars B B. The lever L is not connected directly with the bar B, but is connected by a loose joint, as before described, to a short crank 11 which is secured by a bolt on which it turns at the axis X and which lever 'y is fastened to the bar B by another loose joint, and stands when at rest at an acute angle to both bar B and the side bar L, as shown in Fig. I. The side bars L L are kept in position by means of springs p p, Figs. II and III, and made fast to the flooring or secured in any convenient position, so that they will press against the side bars L L on their outward side and keep the curved ends of said side bars against and around the lugs t t. The small stays o 0' are placed inside of the bars L L to prevent them from being forced in farther than is necessary to reach the lugs t t, so that when the bar S is drawn out, opening either switch, as shown in Fig. III, the levers will not become displaced, but will remain in position to receive the lugs of the bar S when thrown back. A bridge or bar g g is to be elevated above and across the bar S and the side bars L L high enough to permit said bar and side bars to move or slide easily underneath the bridge and yet be close enough to the bars to pre vent their being raised out of position and forced upward from the flooring. When the switch-stand crank K is thrown to the right, as in Fig. III, the bar S is drawn outward and to the right and the side bar L is drawn with it by means of the lug 15. IV hen the bar S is thrown back, as in Fig. II, the lug slides back into the side bar L, and the bar S may be drawn to the left, leaving the side bar L in position and drawing L' outward, thus opening or closing either switch by throwing the crank K to the right or to the left.

This appliance or machine herein described may be applied to other purpose than to the three-throw switch with good eifect.

Having thus described my invention,,what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A three-throw-switch machine comprising a crank K, bar S, and side bars L L, operating on lugs of bar S, the springs 19 p',b10cks 0 0', block W, and bridge g, all operated conjointly and substantially as shown and described.

2. In a three-throw switch, as an improvement, the bar S, side bars L L, springs, blocks,

and bridge used in connection with the or-- dinary switch-stand and rails, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a three-throw switch, the combination 7 Attest:

HENRY ORPEN, Tnos. THOROUGHMAN.

JOHN J. MURPHY, JR." W 

